Looseleaf binder mechanism



J. B. CAUDLE LOOSELEAF BINDER MECHANISM Jul 1, 1969 Filed May 9. 1967 Fig. 7

W. e N m v Nu 0 C B n h 0 J United States Patent 3,453,060 LOOSELEAF BINDER MECHANISM John B. Caudle, 3909 S. Franklin Ave., Dallas, Tex. 75233 Filed May 9, 1967, Ser. No. 637,134 Int. 'Cl. B42f 13/20, 3/02 US. Cl. 402-45 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Looseleaf binders ordinarily use a binder mechanism which includes metal rings and associated locking mechanism, such devices being widely used for school notebooks and the like. However, these binder mechanisms are fairly expensive both in materials and in manufacturing costs, and a secure, easily operated binder mechanism is not readily constructed of metal, especially for small sizes. It would be preferable to provide a looseleaf wherein the mechanism is constructed entirely of a cheaper material such as plastic.

It is the principal object of this invention to provide a looseleaf binder mechanism which is simple and easily operated but yet can be constructed of low cost material such as plastic.

In accordance with this invention, a binder mechanism for a looseleaf folder or the like is provided in a preferred embodiment including basically only two parts. One of these is a back plate which is secured to the inside back of the folder or booklet. The second part is an elongated hinge member which includes a plurality of rings or loops. The hinge member with its associated loops is secured to the back plate in a manner such that the rings can be rotated from a closed or hold position to an open or release position. In moving between the closed and open positions, the loops pass through slots or detent means which impede this rotation such that the loops are not free to open but instead require some force, more than ordinarily encountered in the use of the binder. Preferably the rotation of the loops is impeded by having each loop rotate through a slot which is slightly narrower than the thickness of the loops themselves. The loops and the walls of the slots must of course be composed of a material which is slightly yieldable. Preferably the entire back plate and the hinge member with the loops are all composed of the same material, suitably plastic. Another feature of the preferred embodiment is the provision of apertures in the back plate wherein the ends of the loops rest in the closed position, thus holding the sheets more securely. Also, an important feature of the invention is the manner in which the loops may be closed by merely closing the covers of the binder since the covers may be positioned to bear upon the sides of the loops.

The novel features believed characteristic of this invention are set forth in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, as well as other objects and advantages thereof, will best be understood by reference to the following detailed description of a particular embodiment, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a pictorial view of a binder in accordance with this invention with the rings or loops of the binder mechanism in a closed position;

FIGURE 2 is a pictorial view of one of the parts of the binder apparatus, this being the hinge member with the loops attached;

FIGURE 3 is a pictorial view of the top of the back plate portion of the binder apparatus;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged detail plan view of one of the loops and its associated slot in the back plate;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged detail elevation view of the portion of the binder mechanism as in FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 6 is a bottom view of the portion of the binder mechanism as in FIGURES 4 and 5;

FIGURE 7 is an elevation view of the edge of the binder in a closed position; and

FIGURE 8 is a pictorial view of a portion of the binder of FIGURE 1 with the rings or loops in an open position.

With reference now in particular to FIGURE 1, there is shown a binder of the looseleaf type having a back 10 to which is attached front and back covers 11 and 12, these covers 11 and 12 of course being hingedly secured to the back as is conventional. Secured to the inside of the back of the binder is a binding mechanism or attaching means which consists of a back plate member 15 along with a plurality of rings or loops 16. While a fivering binder is illustrated, it is of course understood that three-ring, six-ring, or any desired number may be used. The back plate member 15 includes an elongated fiat body having longitudinal ribs 23 and 24 along the edges and a third rib 25 extending longitudinally along said fiat body adjacent rib 23. Ribs 23 and 25 define a recess 20. The back plate member 15 is secured to the back of the binder by rivets 17 of conventional form.

The loops 16 may be moved between a closed or hold position and an open or released position. in FIGURE 1 the loops are illustrated as being in the closed position wherein the free ends of the loops 16 on the right-hand side extend down into holes 18 in the back plate 15. In this manner, the loops are prevented from being released when pulled upon from the right-hand side as by from the sheets of paper held in the loops. The rings or loops 16 are arranged to pivot to the left to open the binder mechanism, this releasing the sheets of paper or permitting insertion of sheets of paper. To this end, the left-hand or base ends of each of the loops 16 are all connected to an elongated hinge member 19 as seen in FIGURE 2. Preferably, the hinge member 19 and the loops 16 are all formed of an integral piece of the same material. The elongated hinge member 19 fits into the slot or recess 20 in the lower face of the back plate 15. This slot or recess 20, as may be seen in the underneath view of FIGURE 6, merely functions tohold the hinge member in place but yet permits it to rotate. From the hinge member 19, the faces or inner ends of the loops 16 extend up through apertures 21 on the left-hand edge of the back plate as seen in FIGURE 3.

An important feature of the invention is the manner in which the loops 16 are permitted to rotate about the hinge member 19 between opened and closed positions, but yet are held firmly in a closed position so that the binder will not be inadvertently opened. To this end, slots or narrow throat 22 are provided in the left-hand rib 23 of the back plate communicating with the apertures 21. As shown in FIGURE 5, each slot 22 terminates in an enlarged, curved opening at the bottom edge of rib 23. As shown in FIGURE 8, the bases of the loops 16 are dis posed in these enlarged curved openings in the open position of the rings or loops. The bases of the loops must pass through these slots or narrow throats 22 when rotating the rings or loops to the open and closed positions. As best seen in the enlarged view of FIGURE 5, the slots 22 are just slightly narrower than the thickness of the loops 16 so that the loops will not freely rotate into the slots 22 but must be forced with a noticeable amount of pressure, more than ordinarily encountered in normal use. To permit this mechanism to operate, it is necessary that the walls of the slots 22 and/or the portions of the loops 16 which pass through the slots be composed of material which yields slightly under pressure. Many of the plastics commercially available will provide the desired characteristics, of being flexible, bendable, and non-cracking; however, the preferred material is acrylonitrile butadiene styrene. While it is stated that the slot 22 is slightly smaller than the width of the loop 16, it is understood that the purpose here is merely that the loop 16 not rotate freely through the slot and so if the plastic chosen is fairly firm an arrangement wherein the slot 22 is almost the same size as the loop 16 might provide a force fit which would produce the desired function; however, it is preferable that a fairly yieldable material be used thus requiring the slot 22 to be noticeably narrower than the width of the loops 16. It is preferable that the loops 16 be fairly yieldable so that they may be easily fitted into the holes 18 at their right-hand ends.

The loops 16 may be closed individually by pressing on the left-hand edge, or, according to a feature of the invention, all of the loops 16 may be closed simultaneously by closing the covers of the binder so that, as seen in FIGURE 7, the inside of the base of the cover 11 will press against the left-hand or pivotal side of the loops 16. This will serve to rotate the loops through the slots 22 and force the right-hand edge of the loops 16 into the holes 18 and thus close the binding mechanism. Also, the binding mechanism may be opened by grasping a number of the sheets of paper which may be bound in the book and pulling from the left-hand side.

The embodiment illustrated in FIGURES 18 is easily manufactured from plastic using rather simple dies, and is convenient to operate; therefore, the device shown will be considered a preferred embodiment. However, it will be understood that the principles of the invention are applicable to other forms of binders; for example, the loops may rotate separately rather than being all attached to the same hinge member. Also, rather than rotating through slots in a solid member, the loops may be impeded by providing upstanding members which bear upon the loops in rotating between open and closed. A concept common to all such embodiments is that the loops are impeded at their pivotal side in rotating from closed to open position.

While the invention has been described with reference to a specific embodiment, it is understood that this description is not meant to be construed in a limiting sense. Various modifications of the embodiment disclosed, as well as other embodiments of the invention, will be apparent to persons skilled in the art upon reference to this application. It is therefore contemplated that the appended claim will cover any such modification or embodiments as fall within the true scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A binder including a back, front and back covers hingedly secured to the back, an elongated back plate member including an elongated fiat body having first and second longitudinal ribs along the edges, means for securing said back plate to said back, a third rib extending longitudinally along said flat body adjacent said first rib, said body, said first and third ribs and said back defining a channel, a plurality of longitudinally spaced slots formed in said first rib and in said flat body between said first and third ribs, each of said slots including an enlarged, curved opening at the edge of said first rib and an enlarged portion in said fiat body connected by a narrow throat, a plurality of holes formed in said body along the second rib at longitudinally spaced intervals corresponding to the longitudinal spacing of said slots, a ring member including an elongated rod and ring portions having ends connected to said rod at longitudinally spaced intervals corresponding to the longitudinal spacing of said slots and said holes, said rod being disposed in said channel for oscillation about its axis with said ring portions passing through said slots between a closed position in which said ring portions pass through the enlarged slot portions in said body and an open position in which said ring portions pass through the enlarged curved opening at said edge, said ring portions having free ends received in said holes when said binder is in the closed position, said ring portions and said back plate member being formed of yieldable plastic material and the throat of the slots being slightly smaller than the width of the ring portions to restrain oscillation of said ring member between said open and closed positions, the ring portions of said ring member when in the open position being engaged by the cover adjacent the first rib to rotate the ring member to the closed position when the covers are closed.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,192,117 7/1916 Reed l2924 3,255,759 6/1966 Dennis 129-24 3,313,304 4/1967 Beyer 129-24 FOREIGN PATENTS 975,626 10/ 1950 France. 976,582 11/1950 France.

JEROME SCHNALL, Primary Examiner. 

